Al-Kharijah
Oasis Kharga Oasis, also romanized as Al-Kharijah, (meaning the outer oasis) is the southernmost of Egypt's five western oases. It is located in the Libyan Desert, about 200 km to the west of the Nile valley, and is some 150 km long. It is located in and is the capital of New Valley Governorate. This oasis, which was known as the 'Southern Oasis' to the Ancient Egyptians, is the largest of the oases in the Libyan desert of Egypt and "consists of a depression about 160km long and from 20km to 80km wide." Its population is over 100,000. Kharga is the most modernized of Egypt's western oases. The main town is a highly functional town with all modern facilities, and virtually nothing left of old architecture. Although framed by the oasis, there is no oasis feeling to it; unlike all other oases in this part of Egypt. There are extensive thorn palm, acacia, buffalo thorn and jujube forests in the oasis surrounding the modern town of Kharga. Many remnant wildlife species inhabit this region. History The Darb el-Arbain trade route, passing through Kharga in the south and Asyut in the north, was a long caravan route running north-south between Middle Egypt and the Sudan. It was used from as early as the Old Kingdom of Egypt for the transport and trade of gold, ivory, spices, wheat, animals and plants. The maximum extent of the Darb el-Arbain was northward from Kobbei, 25 miles north of al-Fashir, passing through the desert, through Bir Natrum and Wadi Howar, and ending in Egypt. All the oases have always been crossroads of caravan routes converging from the barren desert. In the case of Kharga, this is made particularly evident by the presence of a chain of fortresses that the Romans built to protect the Darb el-Arbain. Described by Herodotus as a road "traversed ... in forty days," the Darb el-Arbain became by his time an important land route facilitating trade between Nubia and Egypt. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the Forty Days Road. Tiberium Universe First Tiberium War During the First Tiberium War's first invasion of Egypt, Seth sent a rising Nod commander, possibly the one that would eventually become famous during the Battle of Luxor, from Libya with a small force of light troops; to eliminate a small and weak GDI base in this area and establish a base of his own to act as a forward attack post for the larger invasion. GDI forces in the area were wiped out and Nod was able to gain control of the Al-Kharijah oasis and use it as a springboard for their swift conquest of Egypt. Simultaneously Nod established another attack post at Al-Alamayn in a similar manner and to a similar end. It can be surmised that Al-Kharijah may have acted as a secondery point of attack during the invasion, as the forces in Al-Alamayn threatened Alexandria and drew the attention of the GDI forces a second forced moved towards the Nile from it's Al-Kharija base and at a point along the river crossed to the other bank, thus successfully outmanuevring GDI forces in Egypt and leading to their swift defeat despite their high Military Strength and Military Resistance. Category:Tiberian Dawn locations